


Starkiller/Reader

by Khaleesi_of_Assassins



Series: Star Wars Dark Side Scanarios [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends: Force Unleashed - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Jedi, Romance, Sith, Slow Burn, Where are all the Starkiller stories tho?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-30
Updated: 2019-06-16
Packaged: 2019-06-18 16:12:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 20,216
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15489696
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Khaleesi_of_Assassins/pseuds/Khaleesi_of_Assassins
Summary: Your life on Dantioone was uneventful, completely unworthy of note . . . at least, that's what you thought until you find a strange ship crashed in the plains. From then on, nothing about your life would be ordinary.





	1. Meeting

     “(Y/N)!” you looked up from your work cleaning the R-4 unit in response to your name being called.

  
     Your master, Daos, a rather intimidating man in his early fifties, was making his way towards you, an annoyed look on his face. “Have you gone to the markets yet today?” it wasn’t a question. You had been in the shop all day, which might have been fine if it didn’t mean you had neglected your other duties. It was your job to get the raw materials that Daos needed to make the parts for starships that the two of you sold out of the small shop on the edge of a small town on Dantooine, the world you grew up on. However, the only place to get good materials was at a city that was four hours’ ride from your home.

  
    "I can go now-”

  
     “Yes, you can! Now go!” he ordered, waving you off. You stood, patting the R-4 unit which made it whir in response before grabbing a bag and a stack of credits.

  
     You walked through the familiar streets of your small town, saying hello to some of the residents as you made your way to where your speeder was kept. It was one of your crowning achievements, having been a wreck before you found it. That day was one of the few times Daos had been truly proud of you.

 

     He had raised you practically your whole life, though you suspected he did so begrudgingly.

  
     You swung a leg over your speeder and raced off through the plains, the journey beginning as it usually did . . . until you noticed a plume of smoke rising from behind a large hill. You stopped your speeder, examining it for a moment before realizing it was a ship that had crash-landed.

  
     You quickly turned your speeder towards the wreckage, reaching it in a matter of minutes, your eyes widening at the sight. You had never seen a ship like this, its dark frame bent in various places with pierced armor from canon rounds.

  
     Tilting your head as you circled the ship, you looked for signs of movement inside the cockpit, seeing none, before you came to the boarding ramp. It was open.

  
     You peered inside, trying to determine if you should indulge your curiosity. Before you had really made up your mind, you were moving forward and soon you were inside the ship. Aside from things being strewn about from a violent landing, the interior was rather nice. The lounge you stood in linked to several other rooms, though the only one with an open door was the cockpit.

  
     Stepping forward, you examined the controls, happy you were able to recognize the general layout though you had never actually used them. Against your better judgement, you took a seat in the pilot’s chair, laying your hands on the controls, feeling the insatiable urge to use them to fly away, were the ship able. You smiled a bit as you looked out the transparisteel, imagining stars streaking past you the way you’d heard about in stories becoming so lost in your own little world you didn’t notice the figure stepping up behind you.

  
     “Who are you?” you jumped at the voice and turned around, seeing a young man standing in the doorway, tall and muscular, wearing strange armor.

  
     You stood quickly, stammering as you spoke. “I’m (Y/N),” you said, painfully aware of the boy’s eyes on you.

  
     “What are you doing in my ship?” he demanded, stepping forward and seeming to cast a shadow over you.

  
     “I . . . I saw the crash and I was just . . .”

  
     "What’s going on here?” another voice, this one older and wiser-sounding came from behind the man, who looked over his shoulder allowing you glimpse of an old man, his eyes white as though they were clouded over.

 

     The young man shook his head. “Nothing, just a scavenger.”

  
     You tensed as his hazel eyes moved back to you, prompting you to speak. “I’m sorry, I’ll just-”

  
     “Master!” a droid spoke this time.

  
     “What PROXY?”

 

     “There are several squadrons of Imperial Stormtroopers headed this way.”

  
     Panic set in. A single squad probably would have been a rescue mission, but at the mention of several squads you felt heart beat faster. “Perfect,” the boy’s voice brought you out of your trance as he followed the old man and the droid outside, where you could see the white-armored soldiers on the horizon.

  
     The boy looked down at you with an expression half-way between stern and anger. “Get back in the ship,” he ordered.

  
     “What about you?” you asked, watching the troopers drawing closer and closer.

  
     He turned to face you, eyes hardening. “I’ll be fine, now go.”

  
     You nodded, making your way back up the ramp quickly but not before a series of snap-hisses made you whirl back around, seeing two blue blades in either of the boy’s hands, while the man held a green one of his own. What have I gotten into?


	2. When He Sees You Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mechanics on remote worlds aren't exactly built for fighting, despite what some may think. Fortunately, you surprise even yourself occasionally.

        Never in your life had you seen anyone fight like this young man. Not that you had seen many people fighting over anything worth killing for, but you had never imagined anything like this.

        He swung his blades around him in a way that mesmerized you, captivated you, made you forget that this boy and his friends were all that stood between you and the Imperial Stormtroopers that fired round after round at them. A stray blaster bolt or two was always there to bring you back to reality, though.

        It made you wish you had a blaster of your own. At least that way you could be of some help to them, despite the fact that they seemed to have the situation under control.

        Until the droid failed to notice a soldier taking aim at him.

        “Look out!” you yelled, though your words faded into the air, overpowered by the chaos of the fight. There was a flash as the Stormtrooper pulled the trigger, the shot punching a hole through PROXY’s knee joint. He didn’t make a sound as he fell to the ground, nor as he tried to stand but found himself unable.

        You knew he wouldn’t last if he couldn’t even support his own weight, though he still tried, swiping at the Stormtrooper nearest him. You tried not to think too hard about what you were doing - knowing it was probably one of the stupidest things you’d ever done - as you dashed out from the safety of the ship to the droid’s side.

        Though PROXY’s face was incapable of expression, you could almost see his shock as the droid looked up at you. Your heart was pounding in your ears and your shaky hands made it difficult to sling his metal arm around your neck but you had him leaning against you after a bit of effort. A shot that streaked past your cheek had you running, or rather trying to with PROXY’s bulk weighing you down. More shots followed, and the world seemed to slow around you as you saw a flash of blue just inches from you, blocking the shots that otherwise would have gone through your heart.

        Hazel eyes met your own for a brief moment before you drug PROXY up into the ship.

        You laid the droid down as soon as you were sure you were safely away from the firefight, collapsing next to him to catch your breath. The droid looked over to you, speaking in  an unusually chipper tone, “I must thank you for your assistance . . .” he paused, waiting for a name.

        “(Y/N).” You replied, running a hand through your (H/C) hair.

        “Thank you (Y/N), though you might advise more caution in the future.”

        You nodded, resting your head back against the wall, the sounds outside diminishing until all was quiet. Moving as quietly as you could, you peered around the corner to see the boy and the old man making their way up the ramp, their weapons deactivated.

        They were at your side in a moment, the old man helping PROXY to another room while the boy extended a hand to you. Gingerly, you took it and were pulled to your feet, and awkward silence falling between the two of you. “I . . . um . . .” you stumbled for words. Luckily, he spoke up.

        “What were you thinking?” he demanded, not exactly the thanks you thought you would receive. “You almost got yourself killed.”

        You weren’t exactly sure what to say. “Your droid would be scrap now if I hadn’t pulled him out of there-”

        “You didn’t need to . . .” he paused, searching for words, “look, thank you for your help but we have enough things to worry about as it is.” He finished and turned his back towards you but you were still not done with your conversation.

        “You’re with the rebellion, aren’t you?”

        He looked over his shoulder at you, nodding quickly before continuing down the hallway to where PROXY and the old man were. They stood in the engine room, PROXY seated near a sparking heap of machinery. “It seems we will not be capable of flight for some time, master.”

        You examined the engine, seeing a large hole where a shot must have damaged it. “Then we need to get it fixed.” The boy said, making you announce a bit too quickly; “I know someone who could help with that!”


	3. (In)voluntary Assistance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You won't be able to fix the Rogue Shadow on your own. Fortunately, you know where you can find help for that.

        It had taken longer than expected to convince the group to follow you back to your small village. Ultimately, it was the promise of little to no Imperial interference that had won them over, though PROXY and the old man had decided it was best to remain at the ship - the  _ Rogue Shadow _ \- while the boy accompanied you.

        So now you walked through your small town, an empty bag slung over your shoulder and a hooded boy following close behind you. People seemed pleased enough to see you, though their attention was mostly directed towards the strange man following you. You couldn’t blame them. Even you had been a bit perplexed when you had first seen him, so you could only imagine what everyone else was thinking as you passed.

        Of course, what your master would think did worry you a bit more. 

        So when the small shop that was your home came into view, you couldn’t help but hold your breath a bit. He would no doubt be angry that you hadn’t returned with any new starship parts, but you had a little faith that the promise of rebuilding one would clear your name. At least, that was your hope.

        “This is it,” you said, turning to see the boy shift his gaze to the building in front of him. 

        He examined it quickly before nodding to you. Not one for talking, apparently.

        Returning the nod, you stepped through the threshold of the shop as you had so many times before, seeing spare parts strewn about and Daos intently focusing on a cooling unit he was repairing with a familiar  intensity. You knew he noticed you there, and from the frown on his face that he wasn’t pleased. “How is it that you’re back already?”

        You lowered your gaze a bit, having never enjoyed being on the receiving end of one of his talks about how disappointing you were. “I . . .” you had run over what you were going to say so many times in your head, but now any words seemed to have left you. “I was on my way there and I-”

        He finally looked up from his work to see you. “And you got the bright idea to turn around without . . .” he trailed off as he looked past you, seeing the boy standing in the doorway. “Who is this?” Daos asked, moving away from his work and sizing up the boy.

        It was a fair question. “He’s . . .” you paused, realizing you didn’t know his name.

        “I’m Galen,” he answered, though you could hear a tone of obstinance in his voice. The name suited him, you thought, though you understood why he might be wary to give it to anyone. “My ship crashed in the plains. She found us and told me you might be able to help.” 

        You nodded, watching Daos carefully and seeing Galen walk up next to you out of the corner of your eye. Your master stepped closer to him, examining him with a critical eye before turning to face you. “(Y/N) you finally managed to make something of being easily distracted.”


	4. To the Stars

        You flipped your visor up as the sparks from your welding torch died down, and you examined your work in the dim light of the _Rogue Shadow’s_ engine room. You couldn’t help but smile with pride, seeing that the engine had now been almost completely repaired.

        Daos’ willingness to allow you to even touch the strange machinery was surprising, you had to admit. You suspected that he only allowed you to because there was no way he’d have been able to complete the repairs on his own, not that it really mattered. You had so few chances to actually prove your worth to Daos, and you had worked tirelessly that day, just as you had the one before.

        Daos was still at the same spot he had been an hour ago, his focus completely on the set of wires in front of him, and you knew better than to interrupt so you stood from your spot on the floor and left, needing to stretch your legs.

        Kota - the old blind man - and PROXY had been patrolling for some time now, which left only you, Daos and Galen aboard the ship. You found the young man in the next room. He didn’t seem to notice you at first, sitting cross-legged on the ground with his back towards you. Shyly, you made your way to the threshold of the room he was in, watching the steady rise and fall of his shoulders. You didn’t know what he was doing exactly, but nevertheless you decided to speak up.

        “Excuse me, Galen . . .” you said, seeing him loose the tension he held around him. He stood and looked back at you, seeming a bit agitated. “I’m sorry,” you began, “I just never got to thank you for saving me from the Stormtroopers back there,”

        “Don’t mention it.” He spoke the words gruffly, making you feel a bit awkward for intruding.

        Galen turned back to face the wall, and awkwardness choked the air. You shuffled your feet a bit, unsure of whether or not to say something else when fortune seemed to take pity on you, sending Daos to your aid. “It’s almost finished,” your master said, stepping towards you, “but there are some parts I need to get from the shop. I should be back soon.”

        You nodded in understanding, smiling a little when you heard him whisper; “Don’t set anything on fire while I’m gone.”

        You watched him head down the loading ramp before mounting his own speeder and driving it  back towards your village. Once he was out of sight you turned away, seeing that Galen had stood from the ground and was now making his way towards the door, his expression one of anger.

        Deciding not to bother him further, you headed back to the engine room. After a quick inspection, you realized there indeed wasn’t much left to do until Daos returned with whatever supplies you needed.

        Then the _Rogue Shadow_ and its occupants would be gone, never to return.

        That thought made your heart sink a bit. The past few days had held more excitement than you had had in years, and the idea of giving it up was enough to darken your mood. You  had so  many questions you hadn’t even considered asking Galen that were now at the top of your mind.  

        Your decision was a quickly made one, as you stood and headed to the lounge where you found Galen sitting at the table, examining on of his weapons. He took notice of you as soon as you walked in the room, his hazel eyes meeting yours briefly before looking back to the weapon in his hand. You had asked Daos about them, and learned they were lightsabers, the favored tool of Jedi Knights in the Clone Wars.

        That had only created more questions for you, and you had no sooner opened your mouth to ask them that Kota and PROXY ran back aboard the ship, Kota’s white eyes wide. Something was wrong.

        “We seem to have company.” Kota said, which made Galen spring to his feet.

        “Stormtroopers?”

        Kota nodded. “A battalion at least. They brought walkers,”

        You almost stopped breathing. “What do we do?” you asked, looking around the group. You weren’t sure even they could best an entire battalion of Stormtroopers, and from their expressions, neither did they.

        Galen looked to you, his expression hardening. “How close are we to being able to fly?”

        You looked down as you thought about it, your thoughts jumbled. “We could, theoretically, but the engine isn’t fully repaired yet. The ship could explode mid-air.”

        “That’ll have to do,” Galen  muttered, storming past you to close the docking ramp. “(Y/N), I need you in the engine room, doing whatever you can to stabilize it.” He gave the order sternly, and you nodded, turning and running quickly, PROXY at your side while the other two bolted to the bridge.

        “I will assist in whatever way I can,” the droid said, and you nodded as you grabbed your tools.

        It only took a few moments for power to spark across the exposed circuitry, the rest of the engine springing to life as the _Rogue_ _Shadow_ was activated, lifting off the ground. You could see the strain the engine was under, and moved quickly to repair the damage you could see, praying with each movement that it would remain intact.

        The hull shook and a loud _boom_ filled the air, only making your heart pound faster in your ears. “We won’t make it like this,” Kota yelled from the cockpit, “we’ve got to get off world!”

        Sparks from the engine flew, though you knew it wasn’t detrimental.

        “(Y/N),” Galen called, “can we make the jump to lightspeed?”

        You were almost frantic, welding metal together so the ship would be able to do so, not noticing when your hands were burnt from the sparks. “Yes!” you exclaimed, falling over as another explosion racked the ship.

        You had never been on an operational starship  before, nor gone into lightspeed, but you knew when you felt space rush past you for just a moment that you were safe from the walkers and the Stormtroopers on the ground.

        And that you were far from home.

        You stood slowly, checking the engine one last time before making your way to the cockpit. Your lips parted when you saw the tunnel of blue light that whirled around the ship, spilling into the cockpit and covering the four of you.

        Your amazement only lasted a moment before you realized what you had just left behind.

        Your gaze lowered, settling on the ground before you . . . until you felt another pair of eyes on you. You looked up slightly, guilt still overwhelming you as you met a pair of soft hazel eyes. The moment was exactly that, and then Galen looked back in front of him while you walked to the lounge and collapsed in one of the seats.


	5. A New Life

        You hadn’t moved from your spot in the lounge the entire flight. All you could think about was how you would probably never see you home again. Not only that, but if you had been seen with the group you would be a wanted fugitive. Although you practically were already.

        You were more afraid than you ever had been in your life. Afraid for you, afraid for Daos, even for Galen, Kota and PROXY.

        Everything you knew was out of your reach now.

        “(Y/N),” Kota’s wise voice reached your ears, making you look up from the table you had propped yourself against. “I am sorry you were dragged into all of this. We’ll get you home as soon as possible.”

        You let out a huff of air. He meant well, you could see that, but you also knew that going back to Dantooine was an incredible risk, with the Empire looking for the rebels there. “Where are we going now?” you asked, without enthusiasm.

        The old man sighed, sitting down across from you, his white eyes not meeting yours as he spoke. “A rebel base on Thila. It should be safe, at last for the moment.”

        You nodded, a small gesture to show you understood though you suspected that nowhere was truly safe for the rebels. Even you, in the company of these incredibly powerful men didn’t feel like you could close your eyes for fear of a Stormtrooper or worse training a gun on you when you opened them.

        “We’re almost there,” you hadn’t even noticed Galen standing in the room, and felt a bit nervous as he walked over to the two of you.

        Kota nodded. “And there won’t be any problems?”

        “No,” Galen’s response was unsure, and a glance in your direction let you know that you were the unknown variable in this situation. You understood why, though it didn’t make you feel like less of a burden. “They want to speak with you Kota.” The old man nodded, standing with a slight groan and making his way into the cockpit  while leaving you and Galen in an awkward silence.

        He wasn’t much for speaking, you had come to that conclusion the day you met.

        Still, the _Rogue Shadow_ was the closest thing you had to a home at the moment, and you had questions that needed to be answered. “How did you save me back when the Stormtroopers attacked?” Galen seemed to be broken out of his thoughts as you asked. “I’ve never seen anyone move that fast, or block blaster fire.”

        He looked a bit surprised, either by your question or your curiosity. He seemed to be searching for the right words, his lips parted a bit. “I don’t think you would see it from anyone else.”

        You tilted your head a bit, a silent request for him to clarify what he meant.

        “We can use the Force. It’s an ability not many people have.” He must have seen the confusion on your face and tried to elaborate. “It lets us see things before they happen, among other things.”

        You nodded, remembering hearing whispers about the Force in the past but nothing beyond bedtime stories. Now though you realized it was very real.

        Kota emerged from the cockpit a few moments later. “We’ve been cleared for landing.”

\-----

        You stepped off the _Rogue Shadow_ and found yourself standing on a rocky ground painted with shadow. You looked up, seeing mountains taller than any you could imagine rising up from the ground around you.

        Galen and Kota - PROXY had elected to stay aboard the ship - were a few steps ahead of you, obviously not as captivated by the scenery as you were. You quickened your pace a bit to match theirs, following them into a large hangar door in the side of a mountain. There were more people that you would have expected inside, and most of their focus was on your small group as you made your way through the base.

        You, however, tried to keep your attention on the many starfighters that were docked in the hangar.

        “General Kota,” you turned to see a man ahead of you, his back straight and eyes framed with dark circles. “We assumed the worst when we lost contact with you.” He opened his mouth to continue before his hardened gaze found you. “I wasn’t aware you were enlisting the locals on this mission.”

        Kota turned and gave you a smile. “We ran into a bit of trouble with the Empire. But we can talk about that later.”

        “Indeed.” The man gestured and Kota stepped forward. Both your focus and the man’s turned to Galen, who remained stationary. The message he gave was received, though not without a disappointed look from Kota.

        You glanced back and forth between the two before Galen spoke. “I’ll leave you to it then.” He turned quickly and was gone in moments, and you couldn’t help but feel incredibly out of place.

        “General Kota, if you will,” the bearded man insisted, clearly in a rush. Whether he needed to discuss something of great importance or if he just wanted to do so as far from an unregistered civilian as possible was open for interpretation.

        With nothing left to do, you began to familiarize yourself with the base. You didn’t speak with many people, and no one really seemed incredibly intent on talking to you so you simply observed. You tried your best to stay out of everyone’s way, eventually sitting across from the hangar, your eyes soaking in the details of the many fighters sitting there.

        You mind was clouded over with questions and thoughts of the day, so you didn’t notice when Galen walked up behind you. “Kota said he’s going to arrange transport for you to one of the cities. They’re going to send you back to Dantooine.” He spoke calmly, making you look up at him.

        You considered his words. Life on Dantooine had never been perfect, but you had a home and people who cared for you there. You had never been truly frightened there, but the thought of never feeling as alive as you had felt when the _Rogue Shadow_ had been sent into lightspeed left you feeling a bit hollow.

        Nodding was the only thing you could seem to do, though it seemed this was enough for Galen to see you weren’t exactly ecstatic about the idea. “You alright?”

        You looked up at him as the reality of his words hit you. You didn’t. You felt like you had lived your life on Dantooine enough for an eternity. Even when you were just sitting at the _Rogue Shadow’s_ controls you had felt elation like never before, just the thought of you soaring through the clouds. “I don’t know.” You said simply.


	6. Allies

        Starkiller shifted his weight again, leaning up against a wall as far away from the bickering high ranking officers as he could manage. Still, his attempts to avoid their attention seemed to be proving futile. It made sense. After all, Galen Marek was the reason they were all here in the first place, the reason the Alliance even existed, and the weight of it all was rested firmly atop Starkiller’s shoulders.

        “The Empire’s battle station will be operational soon, and you fools bicker about border skirmishes. There must be a weakness.”

        “Even if we knew what that would be, we do not have the numbers to engage the Empire in an assault like that.”

        This had been the general cycle of things since the meeting started, one statement after another, any plans that might have looked like they were beginning to take shape being shot down for one reason or another. At this rate it would take months to even decide on a course of action. Months the Alliance probably didn’t have.

        Still, Starkiller remained silent. After all, his reason for taking up Galen Marek’s legacy was dead, allowing him to become what he was always meant to be. A voiceless soldier awaiting his next order.

        Judging by the look on Kota’s face however, the old Jedi master had different plans for him.

        “You should at least pretend you’re interested,” he whispered to Starkiller so only he could hear. Had the comment come from anyone else, it probably would have made Starkiller’s blood boil. “I’ve seen you studying the situation. You know just as much as they do and at this point they could do with a fresh perspective.”

        Starkiller merely huffed. “You think they would listen to anything I have to say?” The excuse didn’t seem to be a sufficient one.

        “ _She_ wouldn’t have wanted you to just brood in the corner.” Even Kota could not get away with that remark. It took a surprising amount of willpower for Starkiller not to just storm out of the room, and even he wasn’t sure why he didn’t.

        The rest of the war council proceeded slowly, and Starkiller never once missed the disappointed looks he received from the Jedi.

        -----

        “Are you sure about this, Miss (Y/N)?” PROXY’s uncertainty made you chuckle a bit as you took the vortex stabilizer components from the nervous droid.

        What had began as a basic checkup or the _Rogue Shadow’s_ systems yesterday evening had slowly grown to become you repairing the ship and fitting it with whatever upgrades you saw fit. Under PROXY’s watchful supervision, of course. “Relax PROXY, but it’s better to upgrade this now so it’s harder to damage it in the future.” You realized as you spoke just how much that sounded like Daos.

        Still, the droid seemed convinced and gave a small nod, permission to start. You couldn’t help but smile in excitement. The _Rogue Shadow_ was like no other ship you’d seen before.

        Even after walking among the X-Wings and Y-Wings, you were still most intrigued by the ship you were modifying now. It was the reason you were spending so much time aboard, repairing everything that had been damaged.

        You had barely started your latest project when you heard angry voices followed by heavy footfalls coming up the ramp of the _Rogue Shadow_. Standing from your spot on the floor, you began to make your way out of the engine room and down the hall to the lounge where you found Galen making his way to the cockpit, his whole body tense.

        Following him quietly, you watched him take a seat in the pilot’s chair, his pensive - and angry - gaze was fixed on the mountains outside the view-port.

        Anyone could tell he was upset about something, and you knew whatever it was, he probably wouldn’t want to talk about it. With that in mind, you turned with the intention of going back to the engine room unnoticed.

        Galen’s voice ended that plan abruptly. “You’re not very good at being quiet, you know.”

        You mentally let out a string of curses as you slowly pivoted to face Galen, frankly just pleased he didn’t look angry with you. Angry at something else perhaps, but you could tell from the softness in his eyes it was not directed at you. Still, you felt like you had intruded. “Sorry,” you tried to explain, “I just heard someone come aboard.”

        He nodded. “It’s fine.” His hazel eyes drifted towards your hands which were red and hosting several small cuts from the day's work. “What have you been working on?”

        You gave him a confused look before realizing the evidence of your endeavors was very clearly present. “I was just doing some basic checkups, that sort of thing. Then I found that there were still several parts of the ship that were damaged so I fixed them.” It was a shortened version of the truth, but the truth nonetheless.

        Galen gave you a strange look - one you couldn’t place - which puzzled you. Was it that odd that you had been doing some repairs?

        “Thanks.” He finally spoke, offering you a small smile which you returned. “Is she clear for flight?”

        You had to stop yourself from saying ‘yes’, remembering the project you had abandoned. “Uh, no not yet. The vortex stabilizer needs to be reassembled.” You said, beginning to head back to the engine room, only to have him follow.

        You looked at him over your shoulder to see him give you a concerned look. “How were we flying at all if it was broken?”

        “It wasn’t severely damaged before . . . it just needed some repairs, and then I started upgrading it so it would be more durable. I was about to start.”

        Once you reached the engine room, you noticed that the strange look returned and again you were unsure why. “You’re upgrading my ship?”

        You nodded meekly. “Not many things, and mostly just things that will make it last longer.”

        “I have been supervising her, Master. I can assure you any upgrade will not otherwise tamper with the _Rogue Shadow_ ’s abilities.” PROXY’s invariably chipper voice seemed to defuse some of the tension, though Galen still studied you almost as if he’d seen a ghost.

        Part of you wanted to apologize. It wasn’t _your_ ship after all, and he hadn’t asked for repairs. Still, they hadn’t done any harm - in fact the case was the exact opposite of that - so what was there to apologize for? “It’s alright.” You found yourself a bit surprised when Galen spoke.

        The young man looked at you and you could tell he was thinking about something. “You don’t know how to fly, do you?” he asked, surprising you yet again.

        Shaking your head, you answered. “No I hadn’t learned yet.” You had been pestering Daos about learning for years, but he had always put it off.

        Galen nodded. “Once you finish up with this meet me in the cockpit. If you’re going to be modifying my ship you should know how to pilot it.” He turned and left you and PROXY alone once again.

        You could not remember a modification you completed so quickly.


	7. Whispers in the Dark

        You had never felt freedom quite like that of flying. As you guided the _Rogue Shadow_ back down between the towering mountains that housed the Rebel base, you couldn’t help but feel a small sinking in your heart.

        Every day for two weeks now, either Galen or PROXY had been teaching you the art of piloting, a bit more complicated than you might have thought though it didn’t stop you from advancing “with alarming quickness” as PROXY had put it. Even Galen - and later Kota, when he learned of your exploits - seemed impressed.

        Today, out of the corner of your eye, you could have sworn you saw Galen produce a small smile when you had threaded the ship between several tightly spaced mountains.

        It made some part of you relieved, to see that he approved, and only made you want to spend more and more time flying. Still, the _Shadow_ was Galen’s ship, and you knew it was a miracle he was taking the time to teach you in the short intervals he had been, so you lowered the landing gear against your wishes when you returned to the base.

        A few days ago, you had been holding your breath with your jaw clenched tight as you completed the landing sequence, but now it was almost as easy as breathing.

        When the _Shadow_ fully touched down, you sighed and powered down the ship before looking over to Galen. “How’d I do?” you asked, unable to stop yourself from searching for a little praise. Galen didn’t seem to mind too much, though.

        “You did well. Very well, considering,” he trailed off, but you could guess he was referencing your lack of experience. There was something else though too, something he was contemplating, that made you curious.

        “What?” your question seemed to break him out of his thought process, and those hazel eyes met yours. The action almost made you smile.

        His eyes didn’t hold annoyance or even that shadow of superiority that they used to. Now the emotion was more one of pride . . . almost admiration.

        He took in a breathe of air before he spoke, sounding a bit hesitant. “Lots of people have been watching the _Shadow_ when you’re piloting it. Mostly other pilots on the base. The Alliance could always use more pilots . . .”

        Excitement threatened to burst from your chest as he spoke the words. “They offered me a position?”

        The surprised expression on Galen’s face almost made you laugh. “They’re interested. You’ll need more training if you want to be a full-time pilot, which they’re offering to give you.”

        You beamed at the young boy, an expression that caused something of a lopsided smile tug at the corners of his own mouth. “More training suits me fine!” You laughed.

        “Then I'll have Kota talk to them.” Galen reassured you, and that alone was enough to make you want to hug him.

        The thought of the sheer freedom at your fingertips, all of the places you'd never been to, it made your head spin in excitement. Part of you had thought you'd never make it off Dantooine, and you were glad that you'd been wrong.

        You were so caught up in your momentary jubilation you could only nod in response to Galen’s offer. He returned the gesture before standing to leave. It was that action that made you come to your senses. “Galen, wait,” you blurted out, freezing for a moment when the young boy turned to face you. “Thank you.”

        Galen nodded back, that ghost of a grin returning.

        He held your gaze for a moment before turning back around, heading towards the lounge and down the boarding ramp as he always did after a lesson. You didn't pry too much into where he was going, and right now your mind was focused elsewhere.

        Your own grin widened as you took a seat in the pilot's chair once again, running your hands over the controls. You could almost picture stars streaking overhead, an infinite stretch of space laid out before you.

        A freedom like you'd never imagined.

\-----

        It was already dark by the time Starkiller returned to the _Rogue Shadow_ , Kota trailing behind him. Both of them were exhausted from another stagnant meeting. Still, they weren’t too tired not to discuss the girl - who was probably sleeping - aboard their ship.

        “She may be a good pilot but she’s not ready for dogfights,” Kota reasoned, sounding half angered and half amused.

        Starkiller nodded, throwing a glance over his shoulder at the blind Jedi Master. “I know. She won't be flying missions for months at least. Or anything but the _Shadow_ until she knows more of what she's doing.”

        That seemed to ease Kota’s nerves a bit. It had for Starkiller too. As Kota had said, no matter how skilled you were, you weren't ready for the Empire.

        Still, for whatever reason, when he had seen that look in your eyes he couldn't tell you not to. He was still trying to puzzle out why.

        A moment of silence passed between them as the two Force-wielders neared the ship, climbing up the boarding ramp. It was ended by Kota, whose tone had changed to one of amusement. “She’s certainly a determined one.” Starkiller nodded, a few instances where he was sure the two of you would die as you attempted difficult maneuvers coming to mind. “If she does become a pilot, the Empire would have their-”

        “Wait.”

        For a brief moment, Kota looked confused at Starkiller’s protestation, but when his glassy eyes widened, Starkiller knew he felt it too. The Force swept past them like waves breaking against a rocky shore, coming from within the _Rogue Shadow_. Starkiller had felt that kind of power once before - or rather Galen Marek had - onboard the space station where his genetic template drew his last breaths.

        Still, this was different. The Emperor’s presence in the Force had been one that was firmly under his control, a dark power that was finely tuned and utilized with deadly effect. This was like a wild beast that had been chained for too long.

        It was pure, unchecked power and it had somehow found him . . . but Starkiller’s mind was not focused on his own safety. Without much thought he pulled the lightsaber from his belt and ran up the boarding ramp.

\-----

_You didn’t know where you were._

_The room around you was torn apart, like an unstoppable storm had passed through and destroyed everything in its path. Stars floated over your head and fires burned at your feet. Two dark figures stood at the center of the destruction, both of their gazes downcast._

_“He is dead.” A hint of sorrow was laced in the man’s words, his yellow eyes holding some regret. You had never seen anyone like him, with the jagged remains of a helmet covering his mouth while the rest of his scarred face was exposed. The man next to him looked to be in no better condition, an ancient and pale face under a black cowl._

_“Then he is now more powerful than ever.” His own voice was full of anger. “He was meant to root out the rebels. His sacrifice will only inspire them.”_

_You stepped forward, compelled by your curiosity, until you were close enough to see the body splayed out before the two men. It made your heart stop._

_Galen lay there amongst the wreckage, one hand over his heart while the other was unfurled at his side. His hazel eyes were open and empty, like bits of glass focused on the nothingness of space above him. Your own eyes were fixed on his motionless form as you slowly drew closer and closer. You only looked elsewhere when you felt another pair of eyes watching you._

_Slowly, ever so slowly, you raised your head to look around you again._

_You immediately wished you hadn’t._

_The cloaked man with the ancient face was staring at you, his expression pulled into a nightmarish smile. “Welcome.”_

\-----

        The air aboard the _Rogue Shadow_ was completely still as Starkiller walked through the ship, the hum of his and Kota’s lightsabers the only sounds to break the utter silence. Anything that had been unrestrained - tools, datapads and spare parts - drifted suspended throughout the compartment.

        Neither Starkiller nor Kota dared to speak, instead listening to the baleful whispers that surrounded them until Starkiller realized they came from the crew’s quarters.

        Where you undoubtedly slept.

        He didn’t let Kota know of his revelation nor give the Jedi time to ask when he bolted to the source of the whispers. He wasn’t sure what he expected; assassins, Vader, other servants of the Emperor were among the possibilities. All he knew was that he hadn’t expected to find you in the room alone, that great tempest of crushing and uncontrolled power circling around you like a shield.

\-----

_Rain battered away at you, blurring the world around you, save for the silhouette of a man standing just a few yards from you._

_“Y/N,” the voice was familiar, one you had come to know very well since you meet the man it belonged to not long ago. Galen. He was at your side now, looking over your shoulder at the man before you. “Go on,” he urged. There was some part of you in the very back of your mind that was screaming against the steps you were taking, that begged you to turn around and walk the other way._

_Still, you made your way forward, towards the man, despite hearing the_ snap-hiss _of a lightsaber at your side._

_A brief glance down made you realize the weapon was in your own hand, it’s violent red glow casting a crimson sheen on the raindrops that passed it. You were a breath away from the man now, seeing for the first time the lightsabers that he held loosely in his hands . . . lightsabers you had seen before._

_He turned around and you were face-to-face with Galen, his eyes tired and holding defeat. “Y/N,” it was barely more than a whisper, like some small  hope he clung to._

_Your muscles moved without you telling them to do so and an arm wrapped itself around Galen’s shoulders. The other plunged the red blade in your hand through his stomach. You could feel him going limp, his strength falling away as his last breaths left his body. Your gaze moved from the red blade protruding from his back to the cloaked figure standing in the rain before you._

_With a glint in his yellow eyes, Galen smiled back at you._

\-----

        The room was motionless - save for the swirling debris field that encircled you. Even you were completely still, lying on your bunk so still it looked as though you weren’t even breathing.

        Starkiller risked a step towards you, then another. He moved silently towards you, not noticing Kota enter the room, until he could have reached out and touched you. “Y/N,” he spoke, raising his hand as he drew closer. He had no sooner lain his hand on your shoulder that your eyes snapped open. Starkiller was thrown back, as though a wall had been slammed into him. Pain followed his head hitting one of the walls of the ship and his vision blurred momentarily, though he could hear your scream.

        Despite the pain he was on his feet in an instant and at your side a moment later, his vision returning just in time for him to see you sitting upright, holding the sides of the bunk in a death grip. Your (E/C) eyes were wide in terror, your breathing heavy and ragged. “Galen!” he tried to calm you as you gripped his shirt as though it were a lifeline. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t know-”

        Starkiller shook his head, resting his own hands on your shoulders. “It’s alright,” he tried, not knowing what to do. He had been created to kill, to be the perfect weapon, and he didn’t know how to tell this girl that it was going to be alright.

        “What happened?” Kota seemed to come to the rescue, though (Y/N) still stared at Starkiller like she was trying to determine if he was real. Starkiller held her gaze for a moment before looking over his shoulder at the aging Jedi, whose own white eyes were widening. “She’s . . .”

        He didn’t need to hear the rest of Kota’s sentence to know what he was about to say. The former Sith Apprentice looked back into the still-wide eyes of the girl in front of him, and he realized he should have noticed it sooner.

        (Y/N) could use the Force.


	8. Master and Apprentice

You tightly gripped the coarse blanket that you had wrapped around your shoulders, shifting uncomfortably on the metal slab you sat on. The voices coming from the closed door were mostly ones you didn’t recognize, but among them all you could hear Galen and Kota. Their tones had gotten increasingly louder as time went on.

        The situation was strangely familiar, taking you back to when you were small enough to sneak around to hear Daos talking about you to some of the others in your little village.

        Even with that lingering memory, Dantooine had never seemed farther away.

        Directing your attention elsewhere, you focused on the few officers you could see working. There weren’t many, as the sun had yet to rise over the tall mountains. The moon’s glow was the only light now, as it had been when Galen and Kota escorted you out of the _Rogue Shadow_. You absent-mindedly wondered how long you had been waiting while they conversed with the Alliance officers.

        More than that, you wondered what all of it meant.

        You could still remember your dream, hazy as it was, though you weren’t sure you wanted to. You could still see the pain in Galen’s eyes as you ran him through with the weapon in your hand.

        “(Y/N),” you hadn’t even realized that Kota or Galen were near you until the aging Jedi spoke, his blind eyes full of concern. “You shouldn’t be frightened.”

        You could tell he was trying, and you couldn’t fault him for that. It didn’t change the fact that you had a power coursing through you that you did not understand or control. You knew you would be a fool not to be frightened. “What did they decide to do with me?” you doubted the rebels would be too keen on having a ticking time bomb in their base.

        “What _they_ want doesn't matter.” It was Galen who spoke this time, anger in his voice but a softness in his eyes. “It's your choice, not theirs.”

        You looked up at the young man, letting a small smile tug at your features. “You won't send me away?” the remark was laced with just enough sarcasm that you could hide the legitimate thought underneath it. Still, present company considered, you didn't think you could actually conceal many of your true fears.

        A scarred hand was placed on your shoulder, and the battle-hardened Jedi to whom it belonged offered you a fatherly smile. “No, I'm afraid you're stuck here. Though if you want to return to Dantooine, that offer still stands.”

        Your homeworld had been on your mind since you'd thrown Galen against a wall with nothing but your thoughts. Never in all your life had you imagined you had the power of a Jedi. Had Daos known? Why hadn't you realized your abilities sooner? There were so many questions you needed answered, so much you didn't understand. Fortunately, two who could answer some of your questions were standing at your side.

        “I can't go back now.” Your voice was soft, but sure. “But I can't stay without figuring out how to control this.”

        “Well,” Kota reached a hand out to you, which you took, “teaching you can be no worse than trying to get through that thick skull.” Kota gestured to the younger man, and the joke at Galen’s expense almost made you chuckle as you stood. “If you’re ready, we’ll start tomorrow.”

        Kota gave you one last reassuring glance before he turned away, heading back toward the _Rogue Shadow_. Galen, however stayed at your side. “I'm sorry,” you tugged at the blanket once again, “if I hurt you.” You didn't need to reference your waking from the nightmare.

        “You didn't.” Galen shook his head, the silver light of the moon casting shadows across his face. Still, you could make out a concerned look, despite the darkness. “Are _you_ alright?”

        Lying would be pointless, you knew. Even if Galen wasn't able to sense your emotions, the two of you had spent enough time together that would let him know if you were trying to deceive him. “Not exactly.” It was as close to the truth as you could articulate.

        You could tell from Galen’s expression that he wanted you to elaborate. You were about to tell him everything, until the thought of telling him how you'd dreamt of his death stopped you. “(Y/N),” he spoke with surprising calmness, “what is it?”

        It was hard to keep track of how many times you would be surprised today. Galen had been more accommodating of you, certainly, but this concern was something new. By no means though, was it unwelcome.

        “Do you get nightmares?” it wasn't exactly as polished of a question as you would have liked, but it would have to do. “You said that the Force helps you see the future. When that happens, if it happens . . . is that future certain?”

        Galen studied you for a moment, obviously thinking on his answer. “Having a vision doesn’t mean it will happen, but they can be warnings.” He didn’t sound entirely sure of himself, but the explanation gave you some hope. “Why? What did you see?”

        You’d been preparing for that question, and you still weren’t sure how much of your dream to tell him. “I . . . I saw you die.” You couldn’t read his full expression - the dark still cast its shroud over the base - and you were glad for that. “There were two men there too, dressed in black. They said that your death would inspire someone . . .” A look of realization flashed in Galen’s eyes. His lips parted briefly, but he didn’t speak. “But it’s not certain, right?”

        Again Galen seemed a bit unsure, but again he used his previous answer. “I don’t think the future is ever set.”

        You nodded, your gaze turning to the landing platform where the _Rogue Shadow_ sat. “I hope not.” You whispered, unsure if Galen heard you or not.

        “You should try to get some rest,” Galen’s advisement drew your eyes back to him, “Kota won’t be happy if you fall asleep during your lessons tomorrow.”

        Half a smile curved at your lips, imagining that there was a good deal of truth in that.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just letting everyone know - if they're interested - that I am adding a Darth Maul/Reader story to this series! It's long overdue, but I put up the first chapter last night! It will be following the same plot as the rest of works in this series, so if you're interested in the best Zabrak Sith of all time, give it a read!


	9. Trial and Error

Your breathing was ragged with exhaustion and you couldn't help but shiver against the wind that had battered against you the entire trek up the mountain. Fortunately, the little alcove Kota led you to seemed out of its direct path. The chill wasn't what was taking your breath away, though.

        The sun cutting over the edges of the mountains had always been an incredible sight from the rebel base.  It streaked gold through the air to create a sight that never ceased to amaze you.

        The view from the top of a mountain, however, was even better. Even though your muscles ached from the hike, you couldn't help but stare in amazement at the view laid out before you. Nothing back home had come anywhere close to this.

        You couldn’t stare at the spectacle in front of you for too long before the voice of your new teacher drew your focus. “This seems as good a place as any to start.” Kota seemed to be getting himself settled, moving without trouble despite the blindness of his eyes. “I'm going to be quite honest with you, I'm not exactly sure how to begin training with someone who hasn't even touched the Force until recently. This should be challenging for both of us.”

        You couldn't do much, other than nod. In truth, you had no idea what to expect from these lessons. Nor were you sure how you were ever supposed to move things with your mind.

        Kota made his way towards the edge of the cliff you looked over, looking out towards the rising sun despite the fact that he could not see any of its colors. “You think that I can’t see it, don’t you?”

        His words startled you, like he had peered inside your head and read the thoughts there. “You . . . you _are_ blind, aren’t you?”

        “Very much so. I had to pick up other methods of seeing what’s around me. By listening to the Force, I can tell you that the sun is rising right in front of us. That the mountain that we’re standing on right now is home to many creatures, and has been for many years.”

        “How?” You asked, feeling more and more that you were getting in over your head.

        Kota laughed. “Well if you knew that answer to that, I guess you wouldn’t really need me, would you?”

        -----

        Exhaustion pulled heavily at you by the time you returned to the _Rogue Shadow_ , but you staved it off and headed straight for the cockpit. After all, your fatigue was nothing when compared with you frustration. “Ah, it is good to see you have returned, Miss (Y/N).” PROXY chirped as you trudged through the lounge and slumped into the pilot’s chair.

        “Good to see you too, PROXY.” You said, sounding more agitated than you intended. “Hope you don’t have anything to do, ‘cause we’re taking off.”

        You heard metal footfalls as you powered up the ship’s engines, your brow furrowed in concentration. “Miss (Y/N), I’m not sure this is-”

        “What are you doing?” Galen’s voice didn’t stop you on its own, so much as the fact that you hadn’t even realized that he’d been onboard when you came in. You froze, half expecting him to be angry that you were going to take the ship without permission. You turned in the seat to find him standing in the doorway, not angry as you thought he would be. Just . . . curious. “What’s wrong?” He must have seen the discouraged look on your face.

        You let your hands fall away from the controls, and you hunched into the back of the _Rogue Shadow’s_ pilot seat. “I don’t understand what Kota’s asking me to do.” You surprised yourself with your openness, and it made you feel a bit foolish. It must have sounded so childish; you struggling with something that was as easy as breathing for Galen.

        At least, that was what you thought it was like for him.

        “I couldn’t even move a rock today.” You laughed dryly, trying to mask your disappointment. Mechanics had always come so easily to you, and you supposed that you thought this new power within you would be the same. “I thought that I’d take the _Shadow_ out to . . .” you didn’t want to finish.

        Galen looked thoughtful for a moment, thinking about something. Only seconds later, he was moving to sit beside you in the copilot’s chair and flipping switches. You heard the engine blare to life like the _Shadow_ had been waiting for an opportunity to fly. “Alright then,” Galen said, sitting back, “fly.”

        That was all the permission you needed.

        -----

        You flew faster than you ever had before, that day. Relief flooded you as soon as you were clear of the mountains, and it was replaced quickly with a fiery joy as you piloted the _Rogue Shadow_ over the surface of Thila. When you started to slow down, you weren't exactly sure where you were. You guessed that you must have been flying for ten minutes before Galen spoke at last.

        “You’re putting some of the pilots in the Rebelion to shame.” The comment broke you from whatever haze you had been flying in. It was hard to tell by the tone of his voice whether he was being serious or not, but his eyes were telling that you his words were sincere.

        You were glad that he continued to speak, because you weren’t sure how to respond to his compliment.

        “When you fly, do you think about it?”

        It wasn't a question you expected him to ask. “I . . . I used to. But now, I guess I don't. I just fly.”

        Galen nodded, and you saw something just shy of a mischievous glint in his eye.

        “What?” you asked, almost afraid of the answer.

        He pulled one of his lightsabers off his belt and held it flat in the palm of his hand between the two of you. “Try to lift this, but don’t think too hard about it. Focus on the feeling of flying, and reach out.”

        You shot him a disbelieving look, not enjoying the thought of failing again.

        But Galen wasn't about to be swayed by that. “Just try.” He didn't sound impatient, just like a friend pushing you to do your best.

        So, keeping the lightsaber in the back of your mind, you looked out the duraglass window towards the mountains passing beneath you. You watched the clouds in the sky fly past and you felt _the Rogue Shadow_ stir through your grip on the pilot's controls.

        You felt tranquil, your breathing slowing and your focus sharpening. Your senses expanded beyond your body, and you were aware of the hum of the _Shadow’s_ engines, PROXY’s movements in the lounge, even Galen’s breathing. And you sensed the lightsaber in his hand.

        Then you were surprised when you imagined pulling at the lightsaber, and you saw it float up out of Galen’s hand. It wavered in the air as your focus was tempered with excitement, but you kept it aloft all the same. As you set it back down in Galen’s hand,  you couldn't hold back your smile.

        “Well done Miss (Y/N)!” You turned to see PROXY standing in the doorway to the cockpit, managing to look hair happy despite having no range of facial expression.

        “Thanks PROXY,” you laughed, before turning back to Galen. “And thank you.”

        Galen smiled a little and nodded. “Any time.”

        Night was falling by the time you got back to the rebel base, and you couldn't help but wonder if Kota would give the three of you any trouble for taking the ship for the whole day. But then maybe the better question wasn't whether there would be trouble but how much.

        All the same, you couldn't help but be glad you'd done it. So as you and Galen powered the _Shadow_ down and left the cockpit, you took a risk and put a hand on his shoulder, stopping him from leaving too quickly.

        He gave you a questioning look when he turned around and for a moment,  you forgot what you were going to say.

        “Seriously,” it finally came back to you, “thank you.”

        Galen smiled. “I know Kota can be . . . difficult sometimes. I don't know how much I can help, but I'll try if you need it.”

        Your eyes brightened at the offer. “If it means I can keep flying that fast, I accept.”

        “Come on,” Galen patted your own shoulder before heading towards the loading ramp, PROXY in tow, “if Kota’s going to scream at us, we better not keep him waiting.”

        You laughed dryly at that. _No,_ you thought, _I suppose not._


	10. A Matter of Trust

        For what felt like the fifteenth time that night, you rolled over in your bunk, groaning quietly as you tried to get yourself to sleep. You knew it was late, though you'd given up on trying to determine how long you'd been lying there, unable to get any rest.

        That had been a growing trend since you'd started training with Kota and Galen. Your mind felt wider and your feelings were expanded. It was like being able to see whole new colors in the world and it was a lot to process. Not to mention the dreams, or even how your thoughts drifted. You thought of Daos and your old home almost every night, and when you weren't thinking about that, it was the rebellion that you found yourself becoming more and more invested in.

        Kota said you had a restless mind, and so far he hadn't come up with a good way to quiet it.

        Nights were beginning to become longer and longer ordeals, but this night in particular was shaping up to be a painful one.

        It didn't take much time of you staring at the wall to come to the conclusion that you wouldn't be getting much sleep tonight. Frowning, you threw your thin blanket off of the little bunk and swung your legs over the side, sitting up. You couldn't be sure how long you stared at the floor, trying to think of something to do.

        Flying was a no go. PROXY might be wandering around somewhere to talk to, though you weren't sure how much support the chipper droid could offer you, bless his circuits.

        Meditation, maybe?

        It was always easier for you to control your thoughts when you were piloting the _Shadow_ , but anything was worth a try at this point.

        The lounge was dark, but you supposed that you didn't need to see in this particular case. You felt around for the seat and table that you'd sat at so many times in the last few months and made yourself comfortable.

        You closed your eyes, trying to focus on not thinking so much. Every time you thought you were making progress, another idea would pop into your head.

        Frustration was starting to take over the longer you sat there, unable to sort out your own mind. _When you fly,_ you heard Galen’s voice in your memory, _do you think about it?_ You smiled, remembering the trick he’d taught you. _Focus on the feeling of flying, and reach out._

        You weren’t flying, but you had done it enough to remember the feeling of it; the soft whir of the _Rogue Shadow’s_ engines and the way gravity seemed the slightest bit less powerful when you were speeding through the atmosphere. Your smile widened as you remembered the sight of the stars streaking past you in hyperspace, and then the joy you felt when you wove the ship between mountain peaks.

        You didn't feel the smile that spread across your face, lost in your own imagination. Nor did you hear the footfalls against the lounge floor as Galen entered the room.

        “(Y/N),”his voice jolted you out of your trance, “I know you're trying to practice, but you really need to get some sleep.”

        You sighed, dropping your head into your hands in frustration. “I’ve tried, but I can't stay asleep. It's like I can't shut up my own mind,” you explained, lifting your chin to rest on your folded arms. Galen turned a dim light on over the two of you as he took the seat across from you, smiling a little even if he looked tired himself. “It's been like that for a while now, I guess.”

        Galen traded in the smile for some concern. “Is it visions again? Or just thoughts?”

        “It's not like dreams or anything, it's just . . . I don't know, I can't stop thinking about things. I don't even know what they are half the time. My brain's just going off on it's own.” He looked like he wanted to offer advice, but wasn't sure about what to say.

        “I know what that's like,” he finally said, the tiredness in his voice and eyes letting you know how sincere he was.

        “They offered me a position, you know.” Galen’s expression shifted towards concern, as you thought it would. “General Madine saw me fly and he told me that I could join the Rebellion officially as a pilot. He even said I’d have my pick of the fighters they have available.”

        “Is that what you want?”

        You pushed yourself up to lean far into the lounge’s seat. “I don’t know.” There was so much to consider, after all. You would have said yes immediately, if it weren’t for the fact that you knew you would be gunning down other people in dogfights, Imperial or not. “Kota says that Rebellion could use all the help it can get, but I’d never been off my planet before a few months ago and now . . .” you trailed off, remembering what was really keeping you up at night.

        “Are you worried about Daos?”

        You nodded grimly. Daos and your old village were on the forefront of your thoughts, but there were a thousand other things you couldn't stop thinking about. You still hadn't seen much of the war, but you knew that it wouldn't stay that way forever, especially not with the General’s offer looming over your head. “He's probably the one worried about me right now,” you admitted before smiling as a thought came to you. “He'd probably smack me upside the head right now and tell me to stop moping around.”

        Galen smiled a little at that. “I was wondering why he and Kota got along so well.” He surprised you with the joke.

        You chuckled, but your heart was not in it. “How do you manage everything?” You weren’t just asking how he personally could handle it, but how anyone could. “How do you keep yourself sane when everyone you care about could die at any time?”

        You had spent enough time around Galen by now to have a good knowledge of his facial expressions. So when to saw his focus grow distant and his eyebrows furrowed together, you knew you'd hit a nerve without meaning to.

        “You lost someone?” From the look in his eyes, you didn’t really need to ask.

        He nodded, a look of shere and complete hurt passing over his face. You had never seen him like this, in all the time you’d come to know him.

        “Galen, I'm-”

        “It's alright.” He assured you, only to fall short on being convincing.

        You shot him a look; a quirked eyebrow that let him know you didn't buy it. “Do you want to talk about it?” you weren't sure what his answer would be. In truth, you realized that Galen had told you very little about his own past. He looked a bit conflicted about it now, even after months spent together.

        Just when you were sure that he would say no, that he would hurry from the lounge and leave you in the dark, he spoke. “Her name was Juno.”

        -----

        Starkiller saw the change in your expression as he began. He could tell that you were surprised that he had decided to tell you anything.

        In truth, Starkiller was surprised too. He hadn't spoken her name out loud in so long, it felt strange on his tongue.

        “Two years ago, we were escorting the Rebel Fleet through the Sullust System. We didn’t know that the Empire had been tracking us until it was too late. She was commanding one of the frigates so I went to the bridge but . . .” he knew from the look you were giving him that he didn’t need to finish the sentence. “It was my fault.”

        You shook your head. “You didn’t know they were coming-”

        “They weren’t after the Rebel Fleet.” His words stopped you. “They were looking for me.”

        “Why?”

        Starkiller had wondered how long it would be before he would have to tell you. Every time you’d called him “Galen” he’d wanted to correct you. “I’m . . .” _a clone, a pretender._ It should have been easy enough to say, you didn’t know anything about the history of the original Starkiller. But Kota and PROXY had believed so strongly that it was _him_. Even he had believed it for a time, before he found Juno and the woman he knew he should have loved felt like a stranger to him. He was sure that she’d known too, by the end. By all accounts she was warm and loving with him, but there was something in her eyes that told him that she didn’t really believe it was all real. And then he was too late to save her and any reason he had to keep pretending died with her. “I didn’t learn how to use the Force from Kota. I was apprentice to Darth Vader.”

        He had been afraid of the look you gave him now. “How did you end up with the Alliance?” You finally asked, an Galen nodded solemnly.

        He could have told you any number of things. He could have said that Vader planned to kill him when the original Starkiller’s memories continued to plague him. He even could have claimed to be the original, saying that he founded the Alliance. That he died for it. “Vader betrayed me. I found Kota and he finished my training. That’s why we were being followed. Vader wanted me found.”

        He looked down, not wanting to see how you had to have been looking at him, or for you to be able to tell that he wasn’t telling you most of the truth. With his gaze averted, he didn’t see you move from your spot across from him until you seated yourself beside him. Before he could say anything your arms wrapped around him, a gesture that made Starkiller freeze.

        He barely had the chance to whisper your name before you spoke. “It’s not your fault, Galen.” Completely out of his element, Starkiller looked down at you, unable to speak. How long had it been before someone had been so close to him? Juno had been the last, he knew.

        Still, despite it feeling so strange, there was also a feeling of relief that washed over him. He had told you at least part of who he was and you didn’t fear or hate him for it. He could sense the compassion you felt for him, and it shook Starkiller to his core. So, with no small amount of hesitation, he pulled his arms around you too.

        For a moment, both of you forgot your worries, content to know that you had each other.


	11. Into the Fray

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Your homeworld has fallen under Imperial control. You intend to do something about it.

        Rahm Kota had always been a military-minded Jedi, even during the days or relative peace in the Order. Now, it amazed him how much he had grown numb to the news of Imperial conquest throughout the galaxy.

        Today's war room briefing, while staggering, was not unexpected. The Alliance was playing a game of spies and operatives against an Empire with just as many eyes and more than twice the strength. Despite his wishes, there was only so much the rebels could do. It was ruthless calculus, and turning one world to their cause might cost them three others.That was the way of things, and there was no changing it.

        So when Kota heard that Dantooine had been taken and the base stationed there was cut off, he struggled with whether or not to tell you.

        You did indeed have a restless mind, and had from the moment he'd met you. But with your thoughts so often focused on your homeworld, Kota knew that hearing that it had fallen to Imperial control could lead you to do something reckless.

        Unfortunately, he had no control over what the other members of the Alliance chose to disclose.

_“Dantooine is under attack?”_ Kota had heard your angry footsteps across the floor of the _Rogue Shadow_ , but he'd sensed your anger long before that.

        Kota simply nodded, trying to think of what to say. You didn't give him the chance.

        “Well, when are we going to take it back? We weren't aligned with the Empire, there have to be people who would fight to-”

        “(Y/N), we can't send in an attack force. I've spoken to the other leaders but it's too risky. Our base there has been evacuated and anyone suspected of aiding the Alliance is being imprisoned or executed. We'd lose too many.” Kota felt your despair at his words. He knew what it was to lose one's home. “That's the way of this war. Of any war.”

        You were silent for a moment, and Kota knew that you were weighing options in your head. “I know,” you admitted, “but how am I supposed to do nothing?”

        Kota shook his head. He supposed he should have had some Jedi insight for you on that matter, but he had discovered that in this war, what was right and what was feasible were two very different things. “When I figure that one out, I'll let you know.”

        He heard you leave a moment later, moving more quietly than you had when you'd arrived. There was a determination about you, one that had been surfacing more and more with your training. If Kota knew one thing, I was that you had no intention of doing nothing.

        -----

        It was almost dawn. Light was beginning to ink its way into the sky over Thilla, and the first sounds of animals stirring awake began to fill the air. Watching it all, you took a deep breath of mountain air. You'd been awake for some time now, your mind buzzing.

        Fortunately (or perhaps unfortunately), it hadn't been the restlessness you'd been experiencing lately. You had been weighing your options, deciding on a course of action.

        And by the time dawn broke over the mountaintops, you had made your decision.

        The steps you took across the base were long and deliberate, your gaze focused. You reached your destination, the _Shadow_ , and you found Galen just stepping off the boarding ramp.

        He looked surprised as you approached, no doubt seeing the determined expression you wore. You spoke before he had even began to ask what was wrong. “Galen, I need your help.”

        -----

        Starkiller listened to your plan almost in disbelief. He'd heard all about the attack on Dantooine in the last war council he'd attended, just as he'd heard the rebel leaders bicker for hours before deciding to do nothing. They wouldn't risk the ships and ground forces needed for a full planetary invasion.

        Your plan called for only one ship. The _Rogue Shadow,_ and you, Starkiller and PROXY.

        “We can use the _Shadow_ to get past their defenses and land. Then we can break in to the prison and bring the rebels back with us-”

        “(Y/N),” he finally managed to break your chain of explanations, “I know you want to help but . . .” he dreaded the look that took your face, one of anger and disappointment. “You've never _fought_ the Empire before.”

        You took a breathe before responding, as if you were calming yourself. “I know. But sooner or later I'm going to. I _need_ to do this, Galen. It's my home.” Your voice was rising in intensity as you spoke.

        He opened his mouth to speak, but just as quickly closed it. You were not going to back down, and he knew it. For so long, he'd watched the war council do nothing as whole systems were brought under the control of the Empire. And now, here you were, ready to take the fight to them yourself. He could see from the look in your eyes that you would go to Dantooine one way or another, and there was nothing in the galaxy that would stop him from doing everything he could to protect you.

        “It'll be dangerous,” he started, and saw your expression flicker.

        “I know.” You looked down and laughed a little, “Probably in way over our heads.”

        “That you are.” Kota’s voice had both you and Starkiller turning toward the Jedi, wide-eyed.

        “Kota I-” you began, only for the blind man to raise a hand.

        “I can't say what you're doing is smart, but the Rebellion has been inactive for too long. People aren't believing in the cause. What you're doing is a gamble, but maybe that's what we need right now.”

        -----

        You had never seen your homeworld from space. When you came out of lightspeed, you took a moment to marvel it all. Your little grassland had seemed to stretch on forever but from space it all seemed so small. Your focus could only linger on the planet itself for so long before something else caught your eye.

        Even from far away, you could see the triangular hull of the Star Destroyer as it loomed over Dantooine. The magnitude of what you were doing was beginning to weigh on you.

        “Please tell me the stealth systems are working,” you said, turning to Galen in the co-pilot’s seat. He had donned plain, civilian-looking clothing instead of his usual Jedi armor.

        He nodded. “Well, they aren't shooting at us, so that's a good sign.”

        It wasn't exactly reassuring, but you couldn't deny the logic. All the same, you kept the _Shadow_ as far away from the massive ship as you could. At least you could be sure that they couldn't actually see you that way.

        “PROXY, monitor what transmissions you can, tell us what's going on down there.” Kota leaned forward, using the backs of the cockpit chairs to support himself. He too had chosen a disguise, a strange look considering his fondness for military garb.

        For you, on the other hand, the disguise was all too natural.

        The droid seated behind you nodded at Kota’s command, his yellow eyes flickering for a moment. “Most Imperial communications are coming from Dantoo City.”

        The capital. It would only make sense. It also probably meant that the prison for the rebels was there.

        Flying over the city itself was a bit of a surreal experience. After all, you’d grown up not too far from here. Dantoo City had been where Daos had often sent you to trade for spare parts, but the city had always seemed so large when compared to the little settlement where you used to live. Now, flying overhead, you realized how relatively small it all actually was.

        There were several structures that had been built which were not there before, each around the outskirts. The largest, you realised, was a weapons depot. You could see several walkers standing ready on the open platform. Several guard towers dotted the cityscape, and finally, a blocky building that had to be the prison.

        The sun was setting as you directed the ship towards a small spaceport, and you could see lights beginning to pop up in windows. Landing the _Rogue Shadow,_ you took in a deep breath as you saw a man clad in black making his way towards the ship. He was unmistakably Imperial, and behind him was a Stormtrooper carrying a rifle. You were suddenly hyper aware of of the small holdout blaster you’d been given, the tiny weapon resting against your side, hidden under a jacket.

        “Alright, here we go,” you said, more to yourself than anyone, before standing from the pilot’s seat and beginning to make your way down to the boarding ramp. As you passed him, Galen reached out towards you, catching you by the hand.

        He didn’t say anything, but the look he gave you was one of complete reassurance. You smiled back at him, glad that, if nothing else, you had him with you. Something passed between the two of you in that moment and you barely had any time to register it before you found yourself walking forward, Kota right behind you.

        Just beyond the landing ramp, you saw the man in black standing expectantly, waiting for you. He didn’t look happy.

        “We were not expecting any new arrivals today,” he spoke with an accent and his eyes were calculating.

        Your words came out more naturally than you thought they would. “We weren’t planning on coming. We stopped to refuel.”

        The officer didn’t look convinced. “Do you have a landing permit?”

        You nodded, despite certainly _not_ having one. You made a show of searching your pockets before turning to Kota. “Uh, Dad?” You had never imagined yourself referring to the aging Jedi as such, but then you never imagined yourself lying to an Imperial officer either.

        Kota shook his head after a moment, playing along. “Did you leave it onboard?”

        You shrugged innocently before giving the increasingly annoyed officer an apologetic look. Kota - who acted equally annoyed - reached out for you, playing the blind man. “We’ll show you.”

        As you pretended to lead Kota, your gaze switched back to the officer and the Stormtrooper behind him. When neither of them moved to follow you aboard, you hid your grimace. Glancing at Kota out of the corner of your eye, you looked for some inkling of what to do. Kota, despite not being able to see you, gave the tiniest of nods before spinning on his heels.

        You followed suit, reaching your arms out in front of you and letting the Force act as your battering ram. The two Imperials were thrown back, both of them hitting the wall of the docking bay across from you. Both you and Kota rushed over to them, checking only to find them both knocked cold.

        After you’d dragged them back into the ship, your group of four examined them both briefly, taking their weapons and communication devices. Then they were gagged and bound, before PROXY administered what you assumed was a sedative. “Stay in contact, (Y/N). We’ll keep you updated of what’s going on.” Kota ordered, his tone having changed to all-business in a matter of moments. “Don’t leave the ship unless you absolutely have to. You’re our only way out.”

        You nodded, though your mind was full of a thousand _what-if_ scenarios.

        “Once their communications are down, take out the power supply.” This was directed at Galen, who was examining one of his lightsabers. “Keep a low profile, and everything will go smoothly.”

        Something told you that his assurance - thought meaningful - was empty.

        Kota was already on his way back down the boarding ramp when Galen made his way over to you. “Here,” he said, pressing something into your hand. Your eyes quickly widened, realising that it was one of his lightsabers.

        You looked into his eyes in disbelief. “Galen,” you began, but he shook his head.

        “Stay safe.” It was all he said before he too was gone. You looked down at the weapon for a moment, a knot of dread forming in your stomach, though you weren’t sure why. Something just felt . . . wrong. You couldn't explain it, and frankly it was too late now anyway. The mission was underway, there would be no turning back.

        “We will be back as soon as possible, miss (Y/N)!” Though the words were undeniably PROXY’s, you jumped at the accent he spoke them with. You had never seen PROXY use his transformation capability, but you were certainly impressed. Before you stood an exact copy of the Imperial officer who’d “welcomed” you, identical down to every detail.

        You gave the droid a small smile, actually able to emote now. “I’ll hold you to that, PROXY. Keep an eye on them for me, will you?”

        The grin the droid gave you didn’t match the grim face he was wearing, but you appreciated the gesture nonetheless. “I will, I assure you.”

        Once you were alone, you returned to the cockpit, switching on the link so you could keep in contact with everyone. And as you waited, you couldn’t shake the feeling that something was amiss. While you weren’t sure what it was, you did make sure to keep both your blaster and Galen’s lightsaber close.

        -----

        The apprentice had been meditating when he sensed it; the all too familiar presence of one like him. Identical to him, in fact. Standing from where he had been staring into the red glow of his lightsaber, the apprentice moved like a wraith through his ship, heading straight for the nearest holocommunicator.

        The dim light of the ship was washed with blue light as the hologram was activated, and the apprentice knelt. Even through the hologram, the rhythmic, mechanical breathing of Darth Vader was impossible to mistake. “My master,” the apprentice began, his own voice low.

        “You were not to contact me until the rebel spy on Corellia was dealt with.”

        The apprentice looked up; even the hologram of his master towered over him. “I have sensed something from across the galaxy. Rahm Kota has returned to Dantooine.” Vader seemed interested in this. “And the rogue clone is with him.” The irony was not lost on him that he had just come from Dantooine not long ago, interrogating prisoners under the guise of an Imperial Inquisitor. Looking for the very two who had just returned.

        There was no pause in Vader’s decision, just as the apprentice expected. “Return to Dantooine. Find them and destroy them both.”

        As the hologram fizzled out, the apprentice couldn’t deny his apprehension. Even as he sent the message for the facility on Dantooine to be on high alert, he couldn’t help but grin. How long had he hunted across the galaxy for the two? And for them to so foolishly reveal themselves . . . it would not be long before he faced them in a true test. After all, a Sith who faced no challenges was no Sith at all.

        -----

        Despite being in the middle of an Imperial prison, with Stormtroopers around every corner, Starkiller found his thoughts drifting back to you. There was something about this place, familiar and yet as alien as stepping onto another world. Someone strong in the dark side had been here recently, and from the look he’d seen on your face before he left, Starkiller knew that you sensed it too.

        The terrified prisoners trailing close behind him demanded most of his attention, however. Some were indeed members of the Alliance who had been captured while trying to flee the system, while others were just civilians who were suspected of aiding the Rebels. All had been tortured and while they weren’t very trusting of Starkiller or PROXY, they had been all too eager to leave their cells behind.

        “Master, you will want to see this.” PROXY was just ahead of him, still disguised as an Imperial officer and gesturing to one of the cells.

        Starkiller glanced behind him to make sure that all of the prisoners he’d been guiding were accounted for. Then he made his way towards the cell in question. The red glow of the emergency lights made it difficult to make out what PROXY had been referring to, but as soon as Starkiller saw the man’s eyes, he recognized him as the mechanic who had helped put the _Rogue Shadow_ back together.

_Daos._

        “You,” The middle-aged man looked up at him with exhausted eyes. For a moment, Starkiller wondered why Daos hadn’t run when the power had first gone out as so many of the other prisoners had. Then he noticed the man’s left leg bent at an odd angle.

        That would make things more difficult.

        “Where’s (Y/N), is she safe?”

        Even with the pain the man must have been in, his first thoughts were of your own safety. “She’s fine, she’s with us.” Starkiller stepped through the threshold and offered the mechanic a hand, which he took.

        “Thank you.” He said, and Starkiller knew he wasn’t just talking about helping him to his feet. “They were looking for you, you know. They went through the whole village. My own neighbors sold me out.” He hissed as he took his first step, but swallowed the pain on the next few. Then he gave a strained laugh. “I knew helping you was more trouble than it was worth.”

        “Well, we can make it up to you if you make it through this.” Starkiller motioned for the rest of the group to follow once he had made it out of Daos’ cell. He made it no more than two steps before an alarm blared through the corridors.

        -----

        By the time night fell on Dantoo City, you were surprised by how well the op had been going, all things considered. Kota had informed you that the command center had been taken down, and Galen followed up not too long after, saying that the power to the prisoner’s cells was out. PROXY had begun removing the guards in key areas, and you were almost beginning to think that your nerves about the situation were ill-founded.

        But as they say, if something can go wrong, it will.

        “(Y/N), _(Y/N)_ , come in!” Kota’s voice was strained but quiet as he called for you on the comm link, making you shoot out of your seat. You could hear a faint ring in the background.

        “Kota? I’m here, what’s wrong?”

        “The whole place is on high alert, someone knows we’re here.”

        You were suddenly aware of your heart hammering in your chest. PROXY chimed in, “They detected the power outage. They will be sending reinforcements in.” You had seen all three of them take on dozens on Stormtroopers at the same time, but that was when there had only been one civilian at risk of being caught in the crosshairs. Not to mention that they weren’t closed in at the time.

        “Can you make it back here?” you asked frantically.

        “That depends on how many extra troops they send in.” Kota didn’t sound optimistic.

        You ran - or rather ripped - a hand through your hair. They were going to be overrun soon unless . . . unless the Empire’s attention was somewhere else. “Just try to get back here with everyone, I’ll be right back.”

        Then you were running from the _Shadow_ , hearing Galen and Kota’s protests become a distant cry. You raced through the streets, running faster than you could ever remember, heading in the direction of the weapons depot. You clutched Galen’s lightsaber tightly, careful to stick the the shadows as searchlights scoured the ground between buildings.

        When you finally reached the depot, you knew that you had only moments to act. Your eyes darted from one detail to the next, looking for something you could use to draw attention away from the prison. You saw the walkers you’d spotted on the way in, as well as dozens of Stormtroopers. Your thoughts were blurs.

        How could you make it look like the depot was the real target?

        A lone speeder sitting parked outside was your answer.

        As you rushed to the vehicle, all your years of trying to build your own speeder came back to you, all the failures and times you had to duck and cover when your work didn’t mesh together right. This speeder was undoubtedly different than you own, but underneath it all was the same basic design.

        You worked as fast as you could, forgetting to breath as you rewired and reworked. Just like when you were growing up, only this time the end goal was not to make something that would work.

        “Hey,” you barely heard the Stormtrooper from so far away, and it didn’t matter. By the time he called out to you, you had already finished the last step and were running the opposite direction. Meanwhile, the unmanned speeder rocketed forward with all its might.

        There was shouting for a moment before it was all drowned out by an explosion.


	12. Trial by Fire

Heat brushed off your skin as you ran, light from the explosion painting the buildings orange and embers began rain down from the sky. Screaming and booms that shook the ground sounded all around you, but none of these things even registered with you.

You were focused on getting out of danger, on making it back to the _Rogue Shadow_ and getting Kota, Galen and PROXY to safety.

Your own safety was in there somewhere too, added as almost an afterthought. There had been barely any thought given to you getting back to the _Shadow_ safely before you had launched that speeder at the weapon’s depot. The plan likely would have been different if you were thinking of such things.

The only thing that made you regret your choice was when a blaster bolt whizzed past you, striking a wall several feet in front of you with a shower of sparks. A sharp inhale forced its way through your lungs, the realization that death was very close behind you dawning on you.

Your fingers brushed the cool metal of Galen’s lightsaber, your mind almost begging you to ignite it.

Ignoring the instinct, you went for the blaster in your jacket instead.

Just before you rounded the corner into an alleyway you spun around, looking down the barrel of the holdout blaster. You glimpsed flashes of white armor, your vision focusing in on the nearest Stormtrooper. You had just enough time to see his own blaster raised towards you.

_Point the gun, pull the trigger._ It amazed you that it was that simple as your squeezed your finger over the mechanism.

There was a flash of red and not nearly enough time for you to register the man crumpling to the ground before you began running again. As you rounded the corner you heard the shouts of the man’s comrades and gunfire. Shock over what you had just done, the life you had just ended, flashed through your mind.

All the same there was barely any time to dwell on it. You couldn’t, if you wanted to get back to Galen in time.

And you weren’t sure how much time you’d actually bought them.

\-----

For the amount of sirens and intercom alerts going off throughout the prison, Starkiller was amazed at how few guards they had encountered in the last few minutes. He had thought that the complex would be swarming with Stormtroopers but the few groups that had been unlucky enough to cross paths with him had been taken care of quickly.

Since your transmission, Starkiller had been plowing through the prison as fast as he could. He didn’t know what you planned on doing, only that if you had left the ship and had heard nothing from you since then.

His mind was not kind to him with possible explanations. Ones that brought up too many feelings of failure. Of being too late.

He shook his head. He would not lose you the way he’d lost Juno.

So he pressed on, looking over his shoulder to ensure that everyone was still with him. The rebel prisoners followed close behind, some holding weapons taken from the bodies of the prison guards. PROXY maintained his disguise - though it likely wasn’t of much use anymore - and supported a limping Daos.

“I’ve rounded up as many prisoners as I can but our escape route’s been cut off in the security lockdown. Rendezvous at the command center.” Kota’s voice sounded through the comlink, frustration evident in his words.

“Understood,” Starkiller huffed. He wasn’t far from that spot. His little group moved quietly through the corridors, only stopping when Starkiller signalled it. He sensed the Stormtroopers up ahead before he heard them, though their voices gave away their positions to the rest of the group soon enough. His focus zeroed in on the soldiers, taking a few silent steps into the atrium.

Five. A small squadron to be guarding the command center.

The Stormtroopers noticed him too late, turning to see him as he ignited his lightsaber. It was strange to be fighting with only one blade again, but even so the soldiers were no match for him.

Starkiller took care not to destroy their weapons, so that the freed prisoners might have something to use in the fight that was no doubt on its way.

Once the Stormtroopers were down, Starkiller handed the blasters to the rebels, their once-wide eyes now narrowed in focus. They were preparing themselves for a fight just as much as Starkiller was.

A green glow out of the corner of his eye made Starkiller turn to the other end of the atrium, finding another entrance, twin to the one they’d come through. Kota stepped out of it, his face hardened. His emerald lightsaber casting a contrast against the red emergency lights above them.

“There should be more of them here,” Kota observed, noting the bodies at Starkiller’s feet.

Starkiller nodded as the blind Jedi made his way to the terminal. Following him, Starkiller noticed the alert blinking across the screen. Reinforcements were being sent to the weapon’s depot.

His chest tightened. It had to have been you.

What had you done to make them think that the attack was on the weapons depot and not the prison?

Were you safe-

“We need to get back to the _Shadow,_ we won’t get another chance like this.” If the look on his face was any indication, Kota realised the same thing that Starkiller had. He knew that you were out there.

“I’m not leaving her out there.” There was no room for debate. Whatever Kota had to say, Starkiller had made up his mind.

“She gave us this chance to-”

“You take the rebels back to the _Shadow._ I’m going out to find (Y/N).”

Kota looked like he might object for a moment, like be might remind Starkiller that they were at war. That you had made your choice. Still, there was hesitation. Maybe it was the fact that Starkiller had already lost Juno, and that he hadn’t been the same until you walked into his life. Or perhaps it was the fact that Daos was standing just behind him, with a pleading look in his eyes. Maybe it was even that Kota had grown fond of you as he taught you. Whatever the reason, his white eyes softened and Kota gave him a gruff nod. “You won’t have much time.”

It was all Starkiller needed. He returned the nod, looking to Daos and PROXY for a moment. “Stay with Kota,” he said, facing the droid. PROXY nodded, ever loyal.

Daos was harder to read. He looked angry - and likely was. Yet there was a gratefulness to his gaze. “Bring her back,” was all he said, as much of an order as anything he or Kota had said on this mission.

And Starkiller would bring you back, or die trying.

He began to move towards the main entrance, Kota, PROXY and everyone else following close behind him. Starkiller reached out through the Force, looking for where you might have been.

The group encountered no resistance on their way to the entrance, though it didn’t stop them from checking around every corner. They were beginning to believe that maybe the diversion you’d given them was going to allow them a path of almost no resistance to the _Shadow_.

Then Kota opened the main doors to the prison, and Starkiller found himself looking into a world of fire. An orange glow in the distance lit up the sky, and the sound of boots against the ground down the street drew Starkiller’s attention to dozens of Stormtroopers running towards them.

“Go,” he said to Kota, “I’ll cover you.”

He didn’t check to see if Kota had acknowledged him before he charged into the street, his remaining lightsaber held at the ready. The Stormtroopers that noticed him fired a few shots, though none found their mark. A wave of familiarity washed over Starkiller as he blocked the blaster bolts, his other arm raised towards the soldiers before him. Lightning arced from his fingertips, engulfing the white-armored men in his path as he raced through their ranks.

This was what he had been trained to do, what he was bred for. And he would go through anything the Empire could throw at him to get to you.

\-----

You were running out of time.

The Stormtroopers chasing after you were thinning in numbers, which you were grateful for, but there were still several on your trail. Others had gone back; regrouping with the main force, you guessed. Those that remained were relentless. You wouldn’t lead them back to the _Rogue Shadow_ , so you wove your way through the alleyways and buildings, hoping that you would lose some of them.

Fortunately, most people didn’t look up.

You watched the Stormtroopers pass under you from your spot on a roof, trying hard to quiet your ragged breathing. You would have to thank Kota for the strength training later, you decided. Without it, you wouldn’t have been able to hoist yourself up the building side at all.

As the troopers rounded the corner and moved out of your line of sight, you sighed in relief and rolled over onto your back. It was mad to think about how any of the shots they’d fired could have ended you, how you could have been dead right now. You shook your head, knowing that you were not out of danger yet. You still had to make it back to the _Rogue Shadow_ in time to escape.

Rolling over, you came up to a kneeling position to look out over the horizon. The spotlights of the watchtowers moved along the streets as they had before, and the fire of the weapons depot still glowed against the dark sky.

The spaceport stood a bit taller than the buildings around it, letting you spot it from where you were. Now all that remained was getting to it.

Off in the distance, a faint sound caught your attention, shrieking through the night. The dark outline of a ship materialized on the skyline, the angular craft flying right over you before landing in the field just outside of the city. With it came a strange, angry feeling. Like being on the receiving end of a glare.

Whoever had just arrived, you knew that they would not be aiding you or any of the rebels.

You had to move. The watchtowers would make traveling along the rooftops almost impossible, so you would do your best to stick to the shadows and alleyways. You had the advantage of knowing the territory, after all.

Lowering yourself quietly back onto the street, your grip on the holdout blaster tightened. Your free hand hovered over Galen’s lightsaber. The dirt beneath your feet seemed to grate against your boots with every step you took, making you grit your teeth. You weren’t used to having to move silently.

And for several silent moments, you were sure that you were going to make it back to the ship safely. The spaceport couldn’t be more than a few blocks away. You had no sooner turned the corner than a modulated voice called out to you, proving you very wrong.

“Don’t move, rebel scum.” You realized that the Stormtroopers who had broken from the main group chasing you must have gone around to cut you off.

It was strange, but you found yourself giving almost no thought to your actions. Instead, you reached out, more instinct than anything Kota had taught you, and sent the Stormtroopers flying backwards. Knowing that it was a temporary solution at best, you began running yet again.

Though it all happened in an instant, you saw the Stormtroopers trailing you with their blasters, the pressure they began applying to the triggers of their weapons.

You felt the weight of Galen’s lightsaber in your palm before you really realized what you were doing, before instinct drove you to press the switch on the side of the hilt. The blue blade flared to life, setting your blood alfame in your veins. You moved it through the air, unsure if it was luck or intuition that led it through the path of a blaster bolt headed straight for you.

There was a flash as the bolt struck the blue blade, sending it ricocheting away from you.

Suddenly, you were grateful for the adrenaline coursing through you; you might have stopped in shock of what you had just done if not for that. The shot didn’t hit the Stormtrooper who had fired, instead hitting the ground of the side street you stood in. Even without it doing any harm to them, the Stormtroopers halted in surprise.

You didn’t think about taking advantage of the opportunity, though a battle cry drew your own attention.

The soldiers turned to look down the alleyway you’d come from, immediately taking aim and firing. You could just barely see Galen as he dashed through the line of soldiers, his lightsaber swinging around him in a white-blue arch and lightning dancing off his fingertips. Even with only one of his weapons, Galen moved with the same deadly efficiency that he had used on that first day you met him.

This time though, you were not so helpless.

Doubting that you could block another blaster bolt, you chose to use your blaster instead of Galen’s lightsaber. While Galen unleashed a storm of lightning on the Stormtroopers, you fired off a series of shots. You weren’t a marksman by any means, but you found your targets well enough.

“Go!” Galen’s voice cut through the chaos, the command directed at you.

With your shooting and Galen’s lightning, several of the Stormtroopers crumpled to the ground, some spasming while others went still. They were likely dead.

You were running again before you could think about it more.

\-----

“Move it! _Move it!_ ” Kota deflected a barrage of blaster shots as he yelled the order, doing the best he could to shield the rebels from the oncoming fire.  There had to have been half a battalion moving towards them, though the aging general was sure that there would have been more if not for Starkiller’s distraction. The boy may have been impulsive, but he was no fool.

Kota only hoped that he found you in time.

And there wasn’t much time left. There were only a few more blocks until they reached the spaceport where the _Rogue Shadow_ waited.  That gave Starkiller precious little time to get back here with you.  

“Come on, boy,” Kota grumbled through bared teeth, “hurry up-”

“General!”

Kota whirled towards whichever voice had called out to him, though he realised mid-way through the motion what the warning had been about.  He felt the tremors that were sent through the earth, heard the mechanical grinding of gears as an all too familiar construct approached.

You seemed to have missed some of the walkers at the weapon depot, by the two that Kota sensed coming his way.  

“Take cover!” was all Kota could manage to say before the walkers opened fire.  

\-----

You heard the sound of cannon fire before you saw it, the massive discharge of energy sending a buzz of energy through the air. The sound made your eyes go wide, the urge to turn and run the other way almost taking over you. Galen’s presence at your side helped steer you otherwise, prompting you to keep running forward before you could do anything else.

The Stormtroopers that searched the streets behind you were just as - if not more - motivating.

_Breathe,_ you reminded yourself as you rounded another corner, _just breathe._ It wouldn’t be long before you made it back to the _Shadow_ , and then it was just a matter of getting off world. You could make it, you were sure.

At least you were, until you stepped into the street to see two Imperial walkers making their way towards the spaceport. Things were only made worse when you saw a group of people scattering in an effort to find cover.

“Kota,” Galen realised aloud from beside you, your eyes finding the white-haired Jedi as Galen spoke. His green lightsaber was held across his body, shielding the rebels who stood behind him while they looked for cover. That would likely make the the people behind him the freed rebel prisoners. “Stay here,” Galen ordered and then he was running towards the bipedal walkers, blue lightsaber ablaze against the night.

“Galen!” you yelled, regretting it when the shout caught the attention of Stormtroopers on the ground.

You raised your blaster in an effort to defend yourself, about to squeeze your eyes shut when you saw the soldiers taking aim at you. Then Galen was there, cutting the Stormtroopers down in a blur of movement. Your attention snapped instead to the walkers that took thundering steps towards the freed rebels.

Taking in a breath, you turned the lightsaber Galen had given you over in your hand. The world was quiet for a moment as you pressed the button on the side, igniting the blade. Taking that first running step forward set your heart pounding against your ribs, but you found that it only spurred your run towards the walker. As you neared it, your eyes flashed to the Stormtroopers that Galen fought, making sure that they wouldn’t turn and fire on you. When the few that noticed you did turn towards you, you had already reached your target.

The walker itself towered over you, its massive troop compartment angled towards Kota and the rebels. Away from you.

They wouldn’t even know what happened.

Raising Galen’s lightsaber to the side of your body, you swung the blue blade as you passed beside the leg of the walker. The lightsaber sliced clean through the metal, leaving behind a molten line where the damage had been done.

The walker took one step with its undamaged leg, then another.  The second step sent it crashing forward, metal twisting into itself as it made contact with the ground.

You whirled around to see Galen leaping through the air, bringing his lightsaber down on the crew compartment before unleashing a barrage of lightning. You watched in awe as the machine sputtered and spasmed before falling forward as well. Galen landed just in front of it, his eyes going straight to yours.

You nodded, letting him know that you were alright, and Galen smiled.  

Across the field, you saw Kota hesitate as he realised that the walker was down, then the rebels behind him cheered.

You let out a laugh, some of the tension you had been holding onto leaving your body. The joy was crushed out of you when you again felt the dark presence you had glimpsed earlier. Whoever was in that ship, they were getting closer.

“Get out of there!” you heard Kota bark the order, giving voice to what you were already thinking. He must have sensed it too, and so did Galen, if the look on his face was any indication. You broke into a sprint yet again, your lungs protesting from the exertion.

“Let’s go!” Galen called, taking the lead with the rebels. You were about to follow, when a familiar face stopped you dead in your tracks.

“ _Daos_?” your voice broke as you rushed to the man who raised you, who leant heavily against PROXY. Your heart stopped when you saw the reason: his leg bent agonizingly to the side. He was bruised and bloody, but his eyes still lightened when he raised his gaze to meet yours.

“(Y/N),” he breathed, his voice hoarse with relief, “you’re alright.”

You nodded, deactivating Galen’s lightsaber and moving to support Daos’s other side. “I am. I’m alright,” you affirmed, both for him and for yourself. What had happened to him? Had be been imprisoned with the other rebels? Who had done this- “Let’s get out of here.” You stopped yourself from questioning too much. You could get answers once everyone was safe, and there was still a ways to go before that was the case.

“Don’t worry about me, (Y/N),” Daos urged, though the grimace he wore made you doubt his words. “I’ll be fine.”

You shook your head. “Just let me help you, old man,” you laughed, slinging his arm around your shoulders. He looked as though he might have smiled, though worry overtook his eyes when he looked over your shoulder.

“We need to move, now!” Kota demanded with no small amount of urgency.

You glanced over your shoulder, expecting to see more walkers heading your way. Somehow, the sea of white-armored soldiers heading your way was much more worrying.

Wordless, thanks mostly to your breath getting caught in your throat, you began moving as fast as Daos’ bad leg would allow. You thanked the Force or whatever powers that be for being as close to the spaceport entrance as you were. You stepped inside just as a hail of blasterfire sang through the air.

_Just a few feet more,_ you gritted your teeth, the sound of rebels screaming and Daos groaning from the pain a distant echo. Even as the _Rogue Shadow_ came into focus as you rounded a corner, your body was tense and the world around you was a blur. You heard Galen calling out to you, and saw the green and blue of their lightsabers moving towards the loading ramp. _Just keep moving, you're almost safe, you're almost-_

Something cold flooded your veins, a chill in the air that went through your skin and muscles. With it came a familiar sensation of dread, of frigid anger and hatred.

You stopped in your tracks before you saw the cloaked figure ahead of you, instinct halting you. There was little time to take in his appearance, but your gaze was drawn immediately to the red lightsaber held at his side.

Despite the considerable distance between you, you could not shake the feeling that you _knew_ this man. You had seen him before. It terrified you.

Galen's voice cut through the air, and then your friend was dashing out from his cover, charging the dark figure head on. That, along with the Stormtroopers filing in behind him, urged you to pull Doas to the safety of the _Shadow_. His weight was straining you, exertion finally catching up to you as the two of you staggered towards the ship.

“Miss (Y/N), get to safety!” PROXY called, angling Daos to lean harder against his metal body. With the weight off of you, your first instinct was to run beside them, to get out of harm's way.

Then you saw the cloaked man reach out, sending Galen flying into the hull of the _Shadow_ with a harsh _crack._ He stirred after he hit the ground, letting your heart beat for a panicked moment. Thought left you as you ran out from the relative cover of the boarding ramp, and you ignored Daos shouting behind you.

As soon as you stepped out onto the ground, you raised your arms in front of you, your eyes glaring with hardened focus towards the cloaked man. You saw his own attention turn towards you for a moment, his eyes hidden under the shadow of his cowl.

There was a flash of red as the Stormtroopers fired, and a wave of power extended out of your body. The cloaked man and his Stormtroopers were knocked back, blindsided by your display.

Galen wasted no time in rushing towards you, grabbing your arm and yanking you onto the boarding ramp as it began to close.

Even as the outside world was sealed away and you found Daos unharmed, your body was still rigid. “We're not out of this yey,” you grimaced, a twinge of pain shooting through your side.

Pushing your way through the crowd, you and Galen headed straight for the cockpit. Kota was already beginning to pilot the ship out of the docking bay. “Take the gunner seat,” the old Jedi didn't look at either you or Galen as he gave the order, “(Y/N), now's the time to test your pilot skills.”

You were surprised by how quickly you took the pilot's seat, taking the controls and steering the ship. A sigh of relief forced itself out of you as you piloted the ship towards the atmosphere. Then your heart dropped when you saw the angular, grey hull of the Star Destroyer that waited in orbit.

Something in you told you of the first turbolaser shot before it happened, and you moved the _Shadow_ to the side, just in time to see a streak of green flash through the sky. You had little time to think about it before you had to dodge another shot.

“Can we make the jump to lightspeed?” Galen's voice had a hard edge to it as he looked up to the Star Destroyer.

“The navigation computer is still making it's calculations,” PROXY cautioned, and you swore under your breath. “The Star Destroyer will lock on to us with a tractor beam if we do not get out of range soon.”

A thought made your eyes go wide. “Where would the controls for the ship be? The pilots, the commanders?” You looked to Galen before another barrage of turbolaser fire demanded your attention.

“It's the top of that tower,” he replied, a cautioning look in his eye. He knew what you were planning.

Tightening your grip on the _Rogue Shadow's_ controls, you let your focus extend beyond your body. You felt the hull of the _Shadow_ move through space as you directed it, the thruming of the engine and the energy of the turbolasers that streaked past the ship. You let your instincts take over, guiding the ship like you were weaving it between the mountains on Thila, heading straight for the bridge.

“(Y/N),” Galen protested, no doubt seeing your trajectory.

“Do we have explosives? Bombs, anything?”

“Torpedoes, they-”

“Get ready to fire them.”

“Miss (Y/N), the hyperdrive is ready, I advise that we fall back!” PROXY's voice was a distant yell.

The ship shook as a turbolaser blast landed too close, but your eyes were on the bridge of the Star Destroyer that drew closer. You bared your teeth, bobbing and weaving to make the ship a harder target to hit. All the while, your mind was quiet, set on your one goal.

You supposed that you could turn the ship around, that you could dodge attacks until the hyperdrive was ready. Or you could take this chance and strike out against the Empire that invaded your planet. The choice, for you, was obvious.

“Fire!” The command came from a part of you that you didn't know you had. The ship rocked yet again as it took another hit, but Galen took your order.

Two missiles streaked out in front of the _Shadow_ , heading directly for the bridge. You wasted no time, turning the ship away just in time to see the torpedoes hit the tower of the Star Destroyer. You didn't wait to see what damage you had inflicted, instead pulling a lever at your side. There was a moment as the stars extended into white lines around the ship, and then you were sent into the safety of hyperspace.

There was a long moment of quiet. Taking advantage of it, it let you sit back in the pilot's chair and finally remember to breathe. Then a cheer broke out behind you, making you turn. The rebel prisoners stood beyond the threshold to the cockpit, clapping and clamoring that they were safe. At the front of them all, leaning into another man's side was Daos. He was bruised and bloody, but smiling.

You let out a breathy, shakey laugh. Kota grinned beside you, and Galen looked at you with wide eyes. Again you laughed, though it was punctuated with a searing pain in your side.

Your smile fell when you looked down and saw a black-ringed hole in your jacket, and a matching wound on your stomach.

There was only a moment to realize that you hadn't been as lucky as you'd thought before your mind went fuzzy. The pain, red-hot, and the dizziness that came with it blocked out any rational thought.

You weren't sure how you got to the floor, only that a pair of hazel eyes were staring down at you once you got there. Arms wrapped around you, pulling you into a tight embrace while your vision ebbed.

The last thing you saw were the stars.


End file.
